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I finally had a chance to shoot my CVA Wolf compact this past weekend. It is my first muzzleloader. What fun it is! I was shocked at how consistent modern muzzleloaders shoot.

I tried Hornady FPB's and Thor 300 grain bullets and between 80 - 100 grains of BH 209. I had good luck with both bullets but I'm pretty sure I'll be using 100 grains and the Thor bullet as my elk medicine in Colorado this September. You can see a little fire coming out of the 24" barrel at 100 grains, so I didn't figure that adding more powder would do that much. And, the gun weighs a little under 7 lbs, so there is already plenty of excitement at 100 grains. I sighted it in ~1" high at 100 yards with that load and am getting ~3" groups of 5 shots with open sights. I will definitely practice with it more in the weeks ahead, but I would be very confident taking a shot at that distance if the season opened tomorrow. Sure wish it was Sept. 14 already!

This is a load I worked up for my Disc Extreme .50 a couple years ago for Colorado elk. I haven't drawn a tag as of yet,but this is a shooting sumitch. It's a Bull Shops 430gr UC short over Blackhorn. No after market breech plug. Shot with a scope for load development. The fiber optics are back on waiting for the tag I want. I had them sized .503. Another slug that shot just as well (no target on record) was the 460gr NEx. I just flat love these full bore conicals.

Colorado Cowboy
Cowboy Action Shooter; Endowment Life Member-NRA
The Original Rocket Scientist-Retired
"My Father always considered a walk in the mountains as the equivalent of church going."
Aldous Huxley

I have been following this post and I have sent an email to Thor bullets to get a sizing pack. Here is my question though. I have been shooting the Powerbelts in 245 and 290 gr. They shoot and load great in my rifle. If I get the Thor bullets and they don't shoot as well as the powerbelts for whatever reason would you take the accuracy over the solid copper Thor?

Here is my 100 yd group with the Powerbelts. The 3 touching were my last 3 shots after sighting in.

The only problem I've found is that Powerbelts with their plastic cup, tend to leave a plastic buildup in the bore. If you try to use another bullet (like Thor) without a real good bore clean, they don't want to go down the bore. I shoot BP in all my Cowboy shooting and if you use plastic wads in your shotgun, you get the same buildup. Thats why I only use fiber wads. BP (and subs) burns super hot for a longer time when compared to smokeless, hence the melting of the plastic. The plastic is harder to get out of a rifled barrel than a smoothbore shotgun barrel.

Next time you shoot a bullet with a plastic cup on the base, check out your bore and you'll see what I am talking about.

Colorado Cowboy
Cowboy Action Shooter; Endowment Life Member-NRA
The Original Rocket Scientist-Retired
"My Father always considered a walk in the mountains as the equivalent of church going."
Aldous Huxley

As long as you stay with PB's (which are a smaller bullet dia than solids w/o the plastic cup ), you probably won't have a problem. Also when you clean it, you should find some green plastic residue.

Just saying............

Colorado Cowboy
Cowboy Action Shooter; Endowment Life Member-NRA
The Original Rocket Scientist-Retired
"My Father always considered a walk in the mountains as the equivalent of church going."
Aldous Huxley